I’m looking to settle a debate with a friend, who says that neurodivergence (e.g. autism, ADHD) is a new trend in literature. I think it’s been around for longer than she’s making out, so I’m hoping to find some evidence to back this up as online searches haven’t been particularly useful.
IMPORTANT – We’re talking about books that specifically refer to a character being neurodivergent, not ones where this could be an interpretation but it’s not explicitly stated.
The earliest one I can think of is ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time”, which I remember being treated as quite groundbreaking at the time, but I’m not certain whether it’s actually stated in the book that the protagonist is autistic or if that’s just how it was interpreted.
Can anyone suggest the earliest fiction book they can think of that specifically says that a character has something like autism/ADHD? Any genre, adult/YA/children’s fiction is fine.
by Virtual-Two3405
2 Comments
Possibly, the bit in what’s eating Gilbert grape
Are links allowed here? There’s a Wikipedia page, lists a Philip. K Dick book from 1964.